Postgame 11/27: Islanders vs. Jets

The Islanders lost yet another game tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. The struggling Islanders are dying for some victories to gain some confidence. At some point, some serious changes need to be made. This season was supposed to be the next major step and thus far, it has not been the case.

The first period went scoreless with both Kevin Poulin of the Islanders and Al Montoya of the Jets keeping the puck out of the net. It was a very even period in every way.

The second period was a different story. The Jets scored 3 straight goals that put the Isles in a huge hole. The goals were scored by Mark Stuart, Andrew Ladd and Devon Setoguchi. Multiple defensive lapses led to these goals, including a huge turnover by Matt Donovan.

With the boos filling the coliseum, the Islanders finally put a goal on the board. Andrew MacDonald scored a powerplay goal. He is the first Islanders defenseman to have more than one goal. This is an issue. They are really missing the play of current Philadelphia Flyer Mark Streit and injured Islander Lubomir Visnovksy.

The Islanders stepped up their game in the third. They tightened up on defense and Kevin Poulin gave his team a chance to win against the opposing teams backup goalie. John Tavares scored with just under 6 minutes left to get the Isles within one goal. This would not be enough as the Jets would hold off the Islanders.

An underwhelming early effort for the Islanders has been the story for quite a while now. This team needs a real identity change as soon as possible. The defense has to play like NHL defensemen and if not, extreme changes need to be made.